Welcome to Teaching Materials

Silkscreen, Help your neighborhood..., New York: Federal Art Project, 1936-1937

Finding resources to teach local history in elementary classrooms.

Finding Local History Resources
In Ask a Master Teacher
Photo, Flowers for soldier in a tank, 1945, Nationaal Archief, Flickr Commons

Whichever lesson you pick, make sure it meets your learning goals.

Setting the Tone: Introducing Students to World War II
In Ask a Master Teacher

A shift in writing is required, often using new language tools, when making claims about historical events.

Why Did It Happen? Making Claims about Cause and Effect
In English Language Learners

Spotlight on Elementary Education

History is made by those who are unafraid to push the envelope and redefine the society in which they live. Encourage your students to examine the men and women who worked to make America what it is today with this creative activity. FIND OUT MORE »

Lesson Plan Reviews

Evaluate key elements of effective teaching Watch the INTRODUCTORY VIDEO
Abraham Lincoln and the Jews

Students learn about the sixteenth president's relationship with Jewish [...] »

Jamestown: The Starving Time

Only 60 settlers out of 600 survived the winter of 1609–1610 in Jamestown [...] »

View All »

English Language Learners

Instructional strategies and resources for ELL
Increasing Participation in Whole-Class Discussions

English Language Learners often have difficulty contributing to class [...] »

Supporting Text Comprehension and Vocabulary Development Using WordSift
screen shot-wordshift home page

Help English learners understand basic concepts with this interactive tool [...] »

View All »

Teaching Guides

Explore new teaching methods and approaches
Internationalizing History

Discover the resources you need to "globalize" your U.S. history lesson [...] »

Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students

Using the premise of a mystery, elementary students act as history [...] »

Using Historical Ephemera in the Classroom

Ticket stubs. Report cards. Photographs. All of these things have historical [...] »

Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively

Thesis statements form the backbone of history essays and DBQs.

[...] »
Stop Action and Assess Alternatives

Teach students to explore contingency with this great lesson plan idea.

[...] »
View All »

Ask a Master Teacher

Follow the Line
Photography, Time Flies, 12 July 2008, Alan Cleaver, Flickr CC

Use these resources to integrate timelines into lesson plans!


[...] »
Browse Questions »